A New Dawn
by the melon lord 2.0
Summary: A child of destruction gifted with a spirit of balance, Azula has always been torn between pleasing her father and denying herself. When ignoring her destiny becomes impossible, an unlikely player is thrown into the middle of a war for peace. Forced to embrace an unwanted calling, Azula struggles to determine what it means to have something worth fighting for... Avatar Azula.
1. Avatar Azula

Iroh had been surprised a good many times in his life, but he imagined his young niece managed to top any previous occurrences when he found her seated behind the elaborate mahogany desk in his study for no obvious reason. Clearly unworried about being found, the fire princess sat demurely in a too-large chair, hands crossed in her lap and a worn scroll spread across the shining wood in front of her.

At the sound of his entrance, golden eyes rose from the scroll and studied him intently for a long, quiet moment. Then, as though her presence was not odd in the least, she spoke.

"Azula always lies." The words were mocking. Surprisingly bitter. Of course, Iroh knew where she'd heard them. His young nephew had developed the mantra several years before. Attached to the end, on occasion, was an added, _Unless the truth hurts more. _"Do you know that's what Zuzu tells himself when I say something that scares him?"

The situation was so odd, so unexpected, that Iroh could not figure out how she wanted him to answer. After some degree of hesitation, he cautiously ventured, "I suppose I may have heard him say something of that nature. Once or twice."

Her lips twisted into an ironic smile.

"It's funny. Zuko- he doesn't know much. That phrase, _Azula always lies_, that's one thing he actually managed to get right." A dull, humorless laugh. "I _always lie. _To him. To you." Her eyes found his. "To Father."

_Father? _Last Iroh knew, Ozai had always been 'Daddy'. What had prompted that change? Something else clicked, and Iroh had to work to keep a frown off his face. Lying to he and Zuko, that was expected from the girl. She had a silver tongue and next to no morals. But lying to her father? Iroh had been under the impression that Azula all but worshipped the firelord.

"And what lies, Princess Azula," he ventured, "do you tell your father?"

Azula reclined back into her chair, and, as though she hadn't heard the question, nodded nonchalantly towards the door. Her smile was sugary sweet.

"You should close that, Uncle. It's drafty in here, and I would hate for you to catch a cold."

There was little subtlety in that. Might as well have simply said, _Make sure no one overhears us. _In other words, whatever she was going to say was a big deal. Dangerous. It wasn't normal that she was trusting him with something so big, but he didn't want to show suspicion. Not when she may genuinely be opening up to him.

Reservations or no, Iroh shut the door.

"Good. Now come a little closer, will you? I don't bite." A sharp smile. "Promise."

Iroh complied. His eyes dropped to the scroll in front of Azula as he neared the desk, and his heart quickened when he saw what was on the parchment. Elegant drawings in navy blue ink, the figures sketched while in the midst of elaborate katas. His eyes flashed up to his niece's before he could take too close a look, but he already had the movements memorized. All solid footwork and graceful arm motions. Very, very obviously _not _firebending.

"Princess Azula-"

"You are quite a suspicious man, Uncle Iroh. After you came back from Ba Sing Sae, you have been… _different. _Separate from the happenings of the court." A hesitation. "Almost as if you no longer agree with my father's goals. Or, at the very least- how shall I say?- _dance to a separate tune, _than he does."

Her words, Iroh realized with some degree of shock, were purely calculating. There was no hidden threat in them. Rather, her inquiry, despite its ambiguous nature, was almost innocent. The phrasing made him somewhat nervous, but more obvious than Azula's wording was her _tone. _Not venomous or disgusted. _Assessing _would be the most accurate way to phrase it. As though she were an army recruiter searching for a suitable soldier.

The nature of the situation was odd enough that Iroh felt as though honesty was important. Foolishly, perhaps, but his instincts rarely led him wrong. Azula wanted to know the truth; nowhere did he sense she wished to manipulate him based on his response. A bit of a stretch, perhaps, but he could _feel _he was right.

"You are very observant, child."

Full lips pursed, and sagely, the girl nodded.

"Good. I have a secret for you. After what you said, I trust you not to tell father, but remember: one word, and your little admission of disloyalty will grow into a list of crimes that _will have you hanged._"

Blackmail, then. The notion was almost comforting. Azula was suspicious and untrusting; if she had simply told him whatever it was she had to say, he would have thought it a trap. It probably would have been a trap. Her precaution, the unnecessary step to guarantee silence he would have given anyway, reassured him.

"Threat or no threat, I will not say a word."

Azula nodded. There was a hesitation. The room descended into complete silence.

Then: "You got this scroll from somewhere. You've been to the water tribes."

"Several years ago."

Her eyes dropped. A nervous expression crossed her face that was familiar only because he'd seen it on Zuko. The absence of arrogance on Azula's features was jarring; the girl was near unrecognizable.

"And you studied the bending?"

Such odd questions. A small, niggling suspicion formed in the back of his head, but he dismissed it immediately. _Impossible. _

"I did."

Two pairs of eyes met. The bright amber of an impossibly old eleven-year-old, and the dark gold of an aged general who had a feeling his world was going to be turned upside down.

"Teach me waterbending."

The words were said casually. No expression on her face that belied their significance. Even having been led into it, albeit discreetly, Iroh's heart stopped for a moment before it resumed beating, fearfully and erratically. He was surprised. He was afraid.

Still looking into Azula's eyes, he realized the fear was not only his own.

"Azula always lies," she went on, as though her previous statement had not been life-changing. "I thought it would work. Do what father says. Be perfect for father. _Ignore_ _it_. And _**I**_ _**tried**__." _Her lower lip quivered. "I made myself his _favorite_, but- you've heard him talk, haven't you? _'The Avatar must be killed' 'Anyone meant to bring balance to the world is an abomination, Fire Nation or not' 'It is of the utmost importance to find and imprison the Avatar'." _Her voice broke. "I hoped it would go away. That if I was good enough, it would- I would be able to- I don't know. Be what he wanted me to be."

"Azula-"

She plowed forward.

"It didn't work." A broken sob. "I didn't- I never wanted to betray my father. It's just- _I have to. _You try holding out, try ignoring everything you are. It doesn't work. The voices- all the past Avatars- they _refuse to shut up about it. _And my chi. My chi is out of control. Little movements, and I bend things I'm not supposed to." There were tears in her eyes, but Iroh knew she was too proud to shed them. "I had to tell someone. Do _something about it. _I would've gotten caught otherwise. Caught and locked up and _stripped of everything I have_."

There's a sharp laugh then, and she hoarsely managed, "The _voices_, and the spirits and visions… they're all too much. I've seen everything the Fire Nation has done, Uncle. Avatar Aang, he was the last airbender, he accidentally showed me once, what it was like when they found him." She closed her eyes, and the pain in her voice was haunting. "He didn't want to kill anyone, so they kept getting up, and coming at him, and… and _I felt what it was like to burn to death. _I'm not… I won't make any promises to save the world. I refuse to be some big, stupid hero. I just- this war- I mean-" She shook her head. "I don't know. I want the war to end but _I _don't want to stop it. I want balance because that kind of bullshit- I think it's born into me, that or stuffed into my head by those other Avatars. I want- I _have _to do something- _but how can I fight my own father_?"

Her lips curved into a heartbreaking smile.

"I don't know what will come of this, Uncle. I still wish it would go away, but it won't. Sometimes I figure, maybe I should just keep lying. Then I'll get a vision or hear voices, and I'll _know _this thing doesn't work like that. But I can't make myself do anything _big _yet. Don't know if I want to. If- if you'll teach me waterbending though, or what you know about it… that might be enough. For now. To calm the spirits down. Keep me from bending things I shouldn't. And who knows? Maybe- if I'm lucky- maybe it'll help me ignore… everything. Forever." It was clear that she didn't believe the last statement. Neither did Iroh.

In fact, if it were not for the absolute sincerity in her voice, he would not believe any of what he was hearing.

Azula, the Avatar.

Avatar Azula.

Sixty-four years of seeing what he thought was everything there was to see, and then an eleven-year-old girl, a child he'd previously only been able to describe as a 'little Ozai' dropped a bigger bomb than he ever could have imagined. He could hardly fathom how she'd managed to hide it. Azula had always been smart, but even as a young child, she must have had infallible intuition. Turning herself into exactly what Ozai wanted her to be, deflecting suspicion from all quarters in one perfectly planned ruse. Growing up with so little love clearly affected her- he could see it in her eyes, the lack of trust, the steely set of her face that said it hadn't _all _been an act- but it also enabled her to survive. To keep her secret until the spirits _demanded_ she acknowledge her destiny.

Then, when she felt she had no choice but to tell _someone_, she'd managed to find the single person in the Fire Nation who would be willing to help her... and to scrounge up the courage to seek him out, despite the potential consequences.

Iroh, for the first time, found himself genuinely _proud of Azula. _

If he thought it would be welcome, he would have given the girl a hug.

Instead, he allowed himself a small smile, ignoring how distraught she was and pushing back any pity he may have felt, and said, "Waterbending practice it is, then. Meet me in the garden at midnight."

She bit her lip and nodded, suddenly shy. As though she realized for the first time that she'd all but broken down in front of him and was embarrassed by the fact. It was this expression that prompted Iroh to ignore his reservations and wrap his arms around her thin shoulders as she tried to hurry past.

Azula pushed him off, snapped that she didn't need hugs or pity or anything of the kind, but when Iroh sniffled and said, "It wasn't for you, my niece. _I _needed the hug to settle my old heart after a shock like the one you just gave me," Azula's guard dropped, and hesitantly, thin, shaking arms were wrapped around his waist.

"Just this once, old codger."

Iroh had to chuckle.

"Of course, Azula." He patted her back comfortingly. "Just this once."

When she left, she didn't thank him. She didn't have to. He could see rare gratitude in her eyes, and Iroh smiled despite himself.

He wouldn't go so far as to say there wasn't _anything _wrong with that girl, but perhaps his little niece wasn't so bad as he'd previously feared.

…

Azula _liked _waterbending.

It shocked her, and she thought it maybe shocked Iroh too, but she picked it up quickly. In a way, it was the closest element to firebending, and even though it was most definitely inferior, it was also _nice. _The smooth motions and elegant katas were relaxing, and there was none of the annoying evasiveness or sluggish non-movement research said was typical of air or earthbending.

It was… it was a graceful push and pull that tugged deep down. So different from the vibrant, offensive _life_ of firebending, but still sensible. Smart, almost, in that it was primarily counterattacking. Not wimpy defense like earthbending or running away like airbending, but taking whatever the opponent did and sending it back, but with more power.

It was also adaptive, which was probably why it fit her so well, why she picked it up so quickly. Her whole life had been adapting; even without having to hide what she was, she supposed being the firelord's daughter would have required it to be so. Adapting was a part of politics.

Before long, Uncle ran out of new material to teach her, and after a handful of repeat run-throughs of things she'd already learned, Azula was, if not perfect, very proficient at most everything she'd been shown.

"If you were going to be an idiot and bring waterbending scrolls to the Fire Nation," Azula said when Uncle revealed he had nothing more to teach, "you might as well have grabbed more than _two._"

There was a short silence. The moonlit courtyard was dark and empty. Nothing to hold them there now that her lessons were apparently over, but Azula didn't want to leave. Those secret hours in the garden with Uncle… they were the only time she had to be herself. They hadn't been supposed to end so quickly.

"I apologize Azula, but it seems I have nothing more to teach."

_Unacceptable. _

He couldn't leave, and Azula didn't think he'd stay if she asked him, not when he had so little reason to, so in a voice that demanded he stick around at least long enough to answer her question, she asked "Why on earth did you want to study waterbending anyway? It's not like _you'd _have a use for it."

To her relief, he took a seat on one of the smooth rocks that surrounded the turtle duck pond. Azula held back a satisfied smirk and elegantly sat herself beside him.

"That, Azula, is not true. As the Avatar-" She cringed at the word, _hating _the reminder of what she was. Uncle did not seem to notice. "-it is crucial that you know the relationship between all elements. Even normal benders can learn from the techniques of others."

"So you went to the North Pole on the off chance you _might _pick something up?" Azula rolled her eyes. How _Uncle._

"While I wish I could say I was an eager enough learner for that to be true, I _did_ have an ulterior motive. You see, I was looking for a particular… solution, to a problem I had." His eyes lit up, and he went on, now somewhat excitedly, "In fact, my niece, I believe I have found material for your next lesson."

"What a joy." Azula made sure to keep her words sarcastic, no matter that she _was_ a bit curious. Wanting to learn didn't mean she had to turn into a sap about it. She wasn't _Zuko_.

"Oh, but it is. I hear from your father you've been learning the basics of generating lightning?"

"Uh-huh."

"And has he told you it's unstoppable?"

They locked eyes. Azula wasn't an idiot; she knew what he was getting at.

"You can stop it?"

Uncle smiled broadly. Even though Azula would never, ever admit it, she _liked _his smile. It was playful and genuine and really not like anything she ever saw on anyone else; although, she'd be the first to admit not many people ever smiled at her anyway.

"I can do better than stop it." He was beaming like a kid with a secret. "I can _redirect _it. You've learned by now that many waterbending forms allow a person to defend himself while still leaving room for an offensive outlet. I used the theory to develop a firebending move that enables lighting to be absorbed, channeled throughout the body, and expelled to a different location."

Azula eyed him shrewdly.

"Interesting as that is, Uncle, there's only one person I know who bends lightning at all." A frown tugged at the corners of her lips. "You learned this because you wanted to fight Father, didn't you?"

"I never wanted to fight your father, Azula," said Uncle, and she could see in his eyes that he was being honest. Huh. That was… unexpected. "I was only worried _he _would attack _me_." A gentle hand rested on her shoulder, and Azula reflexively shrugged it off, even if its presence hadn't been entirely awful. "Now I'm concerned you may be in danger from him as well. It is best you learn. Just in case."

Azula bristled. She wanted to argue, to scream at Uncle and tell him that her father would _never _hurt her, but if she believed that was true, she never would have gone to him in the first place. Ozai wouldn't kill her, not when it'd mean having to find the next Avatar, but he wouldn't have any qualms about attacking her, knocking her unconscious, and locking her away forever.

"Right." Azula climbed to her feet. "Let's get started then. Are you going to shoot lightning at me?"

Iroh looked horrified.

"That is not how you learn, Azula." _It's how I learned when my teachers wanted me to deflect flames. _"First, we must go over the movements. Now, think of the flow of waterbending, how you can feel the energy move throughout your body. To redirect lightning, you must mimic that current; the lightning will follow it naturally. Allow a pathway to form from your fingers…"

Azula settled back onto her stone, chin in her hands, and listened attentively to Uncle's lesson.

…


	2. Admirable Cowardice

"Your aura is looking very pink lately, Azula. It's usually gray, or purple, or really anything but pink. Not that it's all pink right now. More like pink-tinted, but-"

Azula blew a strand of loose hair out of her face and glared at her friend. She was bent backwards in a ridiculous arch that made her back curve in a way it surely wasn't supposed to, and it was taking every bit of concentration she had not to fall over. Graceful or not, Azula _wasn't _Ty Lee. If it hadn't been for Uncle's prodding, she wouldn't have bothered with the ridiculous poses at all.

Then again, his suggestion to train with Ty Lee hadn't been entirely idiotic_. _If she ever got past basic waterbending, the added flexibility would become vital. It was also something she could practice without drawing suspicion. An innocent request that her friend teach her a few circus tricks, and Azula had at least some form of waterbending training to supplement her work with lightning.

"Oh. Sorry. I'm distracting you, aren't I?"

"A bit," grunted Azula. Her arms were beginning to shake, but she held the pose for a moment longer before lowering herself to the ground. It wasn't the intense cardio and muscle-building training she was familiar with, and muscles that weren't used to being stretched to inhuman limits were aching _awfully._ "I _hate _this crap. It's worse than conditioning with Father."

"I'm sorry." Ty Lee's face immediately twisted into a heartbroken pout. "I'll give you something easier." Azula bristled. "Or- or we could do something else. Like firebending. You like firebending."

"_No_." Azula's voice came out in a growl, and she almost felt guilty when her friend flinched. More calmly, she said, "Show me the next one. I _need _to get this."

Ty Lee didn't ask why Azula was so concerned with her circus warm-ups. She never thought about things like that; always took everything at face value. It was a trait the fire princess was occasionally jealous of. How nice it would be not to second-guess everything she was told.

"Alright. Let's try-"

A slamming door cut her off. Ty Lee didn't seem overly concerned, but Azula hopped to her feet and whirled around. Reflexively, she dropped into one of her more defensive firebending stances, raising her hands just like her father had drilled into her, and-

Then relaxed. It was only Uncle. Harmless, and-

_Is he crying?_

-and very, very upset. He wasn't crying, not like she'd first thought, but his eyes were shiny and his face was twisted with horribly real fear. Azula's first guess was that someone, somehow, had found her out and Uncle was coming to warn her. He didn't look urgent though; he was almost… _resigned?_

"Azula." His voice was hoarse. _What happened? _"Your father has told me to fetch you. An Agni Kai is about to take place, and your presence is required."

That didn't make sense.

"Agni Kais happen all the time, and Father never makes me watch. Besides, I'm _busy_."

Uncle's posture stiffened. His lips parted as though he wanted to say something, then closed once more. A hesitation. He spoke then, but Azula didn't think it was what he'd planned to tell her originally.

"I would not make you come, but your father- he wishes it."

"Right then." Azula looked at Ty Lee. "Go do- whatever it is you do. You won't want to watch this." She then started walking, glancing back when Uncle didn't immediately follow. Impatiently, she waved him forward. "Well, come on then. It sounds like this is important, and Father won't be pleased if we're late."

The walk to the viewing area was _silent_. Uncle, Azula knew, must be very troubled to have ceased his incessant babbling. Her brain buzzed with possible reasons an Agni Kai would make the man so upset, but nothing she came up with made sense. It was beginning to look more and more like the oversensitive old man had spilled a cup of tea before coming to fetch her or _something_, but-

Her train of thought screeched to an abrupt halt when they stepped onto the viewing area. It was _packed_, and Fire Nation nobles whispered rabidly among themselves, their eyes shining with an odd kind of bloodlust. _What is going on?_

Uncle ignored the crowd and put a guiding hand on Azula's arm, pulling her along behind him as he made a beeline to their reserved seats. The princess craned her neck, tried to see who was getting ready to fight down below. She didn't have the right angle to view the closest participant, but the far figure looked somewhat familiar. Actually, she could almost swear-

"Uncle. That's Zuko."

Her voice was detached, eerily calm. Azula _herself _was calm. Zuko wasn't exactly importantto her; nothing more than a boy who hated her and scared too easily and desperately needed to grow a backbone. She'd never acted like his sister and he'd never acted like her brother, and with her taking advanced classes and training personally with their father and Zuko _not _doing so, they hardly saw each other anymore. She'd almost say they were strangers.

_Then why do I suddenly feel ill?_

"I allowed him to attend a war council. One of the generals wished to sacrifice a troop of low-ranking men to draw Earth Kingdom attention away from the actual assault." Uncle let out a low, rattling sigh. "The men would have been slaughtered. It was not the strategy of a good general, and Zuko voiced this opinion; however, it was not the right place for him to speak out. Your father declared his words an act of disrespect, and now- now he is to be punished."

What an _idiot_. She'd always known her brother was a bit slow on the uptake, but one didn't _speak out in a war council._ Definitely not someone who maintained as little respect as _Zuko_. Uncle wasn't wrong though; the general's strategy was stupid. The tactician in Azula knew there were better options, options that wouldn't undermine the soldiers' trust, while the Avatar in her shuddered with disgust. Knowingly sending his own men to their deaths? It was dishonorable and not right and a _waste of life._

"He should've waited," said Azula finally. "Pulled you to the side after the meeting and had _you _do something about it."

"He should have," said Uncle. His voice shook. "But your brother thinks with his heart above his head." A fond smile. "At times, I admire him for it. Now… now I am afraid."

"_Why_? He isn't _horrible _at firebending, and Father will stop the duel if things get out of hand. Sure, Zuko might lose all his honor, but you aren't the type to care about that. You're acting like he's gonna die or something."

Uncle sighed.

"Ozai dislikes Zuko, Azula. You know your father. He may not kill him, but he will take great joy in finding a way to make the boy's punishment nearly as bad as if he had."

Right as Uncle finished speaking, one of the Fire Sages stepped forward to proclaim the reason for the Agni Kai. His statement was clipped and brief. A moment passed in silence after he concluded, and then, sounding more excited than he had any right to, the man announced the beginning of the duel.

Zuko stepped forward and shrugged off his robes. He looked so young and _small_, standing alone in front of so many people. Everyone always told Azula she looked like the older sibling. She'd never really agreed, but now she could see why people might think so. Zuko wasn't very big, not really, and his eyes were so _friendly_. He didn't look like he belonged out there, on the brink of engaging in a possibly deadly fight.

Then- then the other competitor sauntered into her line of sight. Her first, detached thought was that he was the opposite of Zuko; leonine and strong and _dangerous_. A natural fighter. Recognition didn't sink in, not until he turned a bit, just enough for the crowd to get a good glimpse of his face.

Shock hit Azula like a tank train.

Oh, this was bad. Awful. She didn't even _care _about Zuko, and her heart was thudding with fear. The confidence that had been on her brother's features had all but vanished, replaced by confusion, and then gut-numbing _terror_.

_Nothing _**_really _**_bad will happen. Father won't kill the crown prince. Just a small fight. To teach him a lesson. That's all. As long as Zuko holds his own, as long as he fights with honor, he'll be fine. A little roughed up, but-_

_Why is dumdum kneeling?_

"Uncle," Azula said, her voice shaking. It was Zuko, _and she didn't like Zuko_, but she could hear him talking, begging more like, and what he was saying was _suicidal. _Drivel along the lines of, 'I meant no disrespect ' and 'I can't fight you Father' and other things the firelord most certainly _did not want to hear._

_"Look away, Azula." _Avatar Roku. He knew how the Fire Nation worked, was aware of what was going to happen, but Azula couldn't heed his warning. Was unable to turn her head or close her eyes. _She had to watch. _That was her _brother_, and her _father_, and seeing them about to fight was horrifyingly mesmerizing.

"Uncle," said Azula again.

"Stand up and _fight_, Prince Zuko."

_Prince Zuko. _Not 'son'. Azula's stomach twisted oddly.

Zuko stared at their father. Stared bravely_, _thought Azula. Stupidly, but bravely. Facing his undoing with honor, even as he knelt and begged for mercy. It was a strange notion. Azula hadn't imagined- couldn't have fathomed- that she could possibly find cowardice respectable, but Zuko- he almost made it admirable. Refusing to fight a father who didn't love him because he _couldn't fight his family._

Avatar Aang was hovering at the edge of her mind. He didn't say anything, but he was _there_, his presence a comforting gesture that paralleled a physical being holding her hand. Not that she needed comforting. Not that this was bothering her.

Not that she'd ever admit it if it was.

I… I will not fight you." Zuko, again. Weak and brave and so, so _stupid_. She could feel Aang's heart breaking. Damn monk. Too weak for his own good.

She couldn't help it, had to warn him. _"Aang, you don't want to see this."_

He wouldn't leave.

Roku: _"Azula. _**_Look away_**_."_

Uncle: _Nothing_, but his hand reached for hers. A physical supplement to Aang's mental gesture. Something Azula didn't need, but couldn't bring herself to shrug away.

The room went silent.

"You _will_ learn respect, and suffering **_will be your teacher_**."

Azula _loved _her father. She hadn't tried to be his favorite all for show. She'd _wanted _to be what he asked of her, had struggled to deny who she was _for him. _Even after talking to Uncle, Azula didn't ever want to fight him, didn't want her ingrained tendency towards _balance _to interfere with the tenuous relationship they had.

He was her father. That meant something, counted for a lot. It was why Zuko wasn't fighting and why she'd be willing to deny her identity for the rest of her life if it were at all possible. Her relationship with him… it had cost her _everything_.

Except then, when he lit his fist on fire and punched his son in the face, Azula saw herself, knew he'd do _worse _if he found her out, and suddenly- suddenly it wasn't worth it. In that moment, the idea of turning herself into a monster to make that creature happy- it _disgusted her._

The movement itself seemed to be in slow motion. Uncle had to turn away, but her attention was fully on Ozai's flaming hand as he slammed it into his son's eye. Zuko didn't flinch, didn't try to defend himself. He knelt, completely defenseless, while the so-called 'honorable' firelord _socked his defenseless son _**_in the face._**

The impact was the worst. Zuko screamed. It was loud and gut-wrenching and filled with pain enough that she _knew _it'd haunt her nightmares. Aang made an odd sobbing noise, and she could tell what he was thinking, recognized the parallels between Ozai's attack on Zuko and his own death, and wished the kid would've looked away when he had the chance. She wished _she _would've turned away when she had the chance. Watching as closely as she was, she could see his skin burning and blistering under the fire, witnessed firsthand how Zuko's body crumpled into a heap on the floor, and saw- saw more clearly than she _ever _would have wanted- her father's smile when his son went down.

It was the smile that made her snap.

Zuko had done wrong. He'd made things worse by not trying to fight. Law demanded he be punished.

**_Nothing _**demanded Ozai _scar him for life, _and nowhere, in any Fire Nation custom, was it required that _he enjoy doing so._

Azula had fought against herself for _years _to please her father, had refused to so much as consider the idea of ending his reign, but in that moment, the instant she saw him smile at Zuko's pain, Azula recoiled at the thought that _this was the leader of the greatest nation in the world._

He was a snake. A cruel, pathetic _snake_.

_"I'm going to kill that bastard and take the throne for myself."_

The thought was supposed to be private, but there was a buzz from the past Avatars. A relieved commotion that held a vibe of _finally_.

It was then that she realized Ozai was speaking over Zuko's body. The voices in her head died down, and Azula tuned in- started listening just in time to hear her father say something that all but tore her apart.

"Zuko, for your dishonorable behavior, you are to be stripped of your title of Crown Prince and _**banished from the Fire **__**Nation**_." Zuko made an awful, dying-animal noise, and Azula's grip tightened on Uncle's hand. "Your honor will be restored and your position returned_ only if _you capture the Avatar and bring him to me."

Uncle inhaled sharply. Azula stopped breathing and flinched away from him, yanking her hand from his as though he were a viper preparing to strike. He _loved_ Zuko while she was no more than an unwanted obligation to him and _why had she ever told the codger her secret in the first place? _She had to escape, had to go somewhere he couldn't find her. Somewhere _good_. He was the Dragon of the West and even her brother wasn't to be underestimated, not when he was determined.

"My niece-"

Azula shook her head and took off, running from the room like she'd been burnt.

Her first stop was Uncle's study. Hastily, she grabbed his waterbending scrolls and one of his maps, then hurried to her private rooms. A bag was procured and the scrolls stuffed inside, followed by as much practical clothing as would fit. It was unfortunate she hadn't been given more warning before all of this had happened. She could have asked her father for a ship and set off in a much less suspicious manner. Now it was too risky. Who knew how Uncle would go about capturing her; he was almost certainly waiting for her to go to Ozai, lying low near the firelord's chambers so he could pounce when she approached.

Leaving immediately and quietly was her only choice. She still needed work on the elements, but for the moment finding safety was most important. Not that she had any idea where to go. That wasn't a big deal though. Escape now. Plan later.

Clothing packed, Azula took a brief moment to consider what else she might need. Stealing food from the kitchens was a detour she couldn't afford. She'd have to buy that kind of thing… _money_. She didn't have money. A heavy bag of gold pieces was snatched from her private savings, and after another quick look about her room, Azula decided she had everything she could take with her.

It was disgusting, a Crown Princess having to flee her own home, but she had no choice. Uncle would turn her in if it meant Zuko's redemption, and Azula wasn't going to wait around for that to happen. Survival was more important than her pride, and if she had to skulk about as a peasant for a while, well- at least she'd still be alive.

Unbidden, thoughts of Ty Lee's words earlier that morning came flooding back. Her aura had been- what was it?- pinkish, maybe? Not that the color mattered; the thing that got her was how her friend said she'd been almost_ happy_. It was true, Azula realized. Sharing her secret with her Uncle had taken a huge, heavy weight off her shoulders. For the first time since she realized there was something wrong with her, Azula had been able to _breathe_.

She should have figured it wouldn't last long.

Heaving her bag over her shoulders, the fire princess took one last look at her room. It was nice enough. Not much sentimental value, but she hadn't ever really left home before. Not for very long, and this was going to be _forever_. Or at least until she was strong enough to come and take out her father. It was sad, almost. Leaving the palace. Now she'd never see that rare, precious approval in her father's eyes again. There would be no Mai or Ty Lee, no more training with Uncle, no more-

_I don't have time for this_.

Azula glared at the space like it was responsible for her sappy thoughts, then, taking care not to look back, pried the window open and slipped out. There were guards all around the palace, but it quickly became apparent Uncle either hadn't gotten to them yet or was planning to keep her condition on the down-low until Zuko could get her himself. Either way, they bowed respectfully as she passed, not making a move to stop her.

It wasn't until Azula was out of palace grounds that she felt it necessary to hide her face. People would talk if they saw the firelord's daughter in the city, and talk like that left an obvious trail for Uncle to follow. Briefly, the princess stopped in an alleyway and snatched a thick cloak from her bag. With the hood up, it was nearly impossible to make out her distinctive features.

She got a few odd looks as she walked briskly towards the exit of Royal Caldera City, but no one tried to stop her.

Somehow, that notion hurt more than it should have.

...

**Author's Note- **

**Okay... wow. I hadn't quite been expecting such a great response, so thank you guys ton. Updates probably won't be _quite _this close together most of the time, but since it's so early in the story I figured I could make an exception. As long as ideas keep flowing, I'd expect a new chapter every 1-2 weeks. **

**I think I'll start review responses this chapter. Not for all the reviews, but if there are questions or particularly interesting comments, I'll make sure to PM anyone with an account. Any words of advice, encouragement, criticism, whatever, are all appreciated. **

**Thanks for the wonderful support. **


	3. How the Mighty do Fall

It was rather surprising that the Fire Nation military could fight its way out of a wet paper bag, let alone take over the majority of the known world. It hadn't been apparent before, but after managing to sneak onto a Fire Navy ship and hide there for _ten days _without discovery, Azula was quite positive her father had employed an army of idiots.

So maybe part of her success could be attributed to prodigious skill, but that couldn't compensate for the fact that an eleven-year-old girl had infiltrated a high-security ship, swiped food from the captain three times a day, and managed to find a bunk to sleep in _every single night _without getting caught. She'd been somewhat worried it would be necessary to stay in the cargo-hold for the duration of her trip, but apparently walking quietly and hiding in shadowy corners when in danger of discovery worked just as well. The soldiers were almost stupidly complacent in their own safety.

That would be good to remember after she mastered the elements. It would make sneaking back into the capitol much, much easier.

The thought brought a smirk to her face as she wandered the small Earth Kingdom village along the harbor where the ship had docked. She'd been forced to flee the Fire Nation for the time being, but she would return to take her rightful place as Fire Lord… _eventually_.

Her smirk faded somewhat as she thought about what that 'eventually' entailed. At the moment, she was by herself with nowhere to go and absolutely no one she trusted to help her. She had enough gold pieces to last a while, but given that she had to master three new elements- her little knowledge of waterbending was hardly sufficient- it was likely that 'a while' wouldn't be long enough. Especially not when she'd also have to go out of her way to evade Zuko, as well as the rest of the Fire Nation.

Agni, where was she even supposed to start?

Back home, she'd been too worried about escaping to think about what she'd do when she actually left. Now that she'd evaded capture, at least for the moment, her brain was free to consider everything she hadn't thought of before.

Such as her new state of homelessness.

_Kill me now. I'm… I'm __**worse than a peasant. **_

Her hands shook as the knowledge sunk in. A few gold pieces and the clothing she'd stuffed into her bag meant very little. Azula really and truly had practically nothing.

_Okay. Deep breaths. I'm not a failure. I'm the Fire Princess. Hell, I'm the __**Avatar. **__I can take care of myself. I just- I need a place to start._

She couldn't begin by learning the elements, not realistically. Avatars mastered their bending in a cycle; idiotic as it was, Azula was pretty sure going in order was important. Even with a head start on waterbending and a sure abundance of nearby earthbending teachers, she would have to start out with _airbending._

That presented a problem. If there were any airbenders still alive, they would need to be searched for. Loathe as she was to admit it, Azula didn't exactly have the resources to travel to the Air Temples, let alone whatever secret corners of the globe the idiot monks would have decided to hide in.

Bending training would have to wait.

That didn't leave her very many options. With her primary goal set off to the side for a more appropriate time, she really had no true purpose beyond staying alive.

The thought made her want to scream.

Stupid Zuko. It was his fault. If he hadn't spoken out at that war council, he wouldn't have been banished and Uncle wouldn't have been turned against her. If he hadn't messed up, she'd be back at home, pretending she wasn't the Avatar, and-

-and _what? _Praying it'd go away eventually? Like _that _would have happened. She would've had to leave sooner or later anyway and she knew it.

Azula let out a low growl. She didn't want _logic_. She wanted someone to come along and make things better_! _

Except there was no one. Her daddy wouldn't fix all her problems anymore. There was no Uncle to turn to, no Zuzu to use as a scapegoat. She was alone for the first time in her life, and panicking would fix nothing. She had to actually _do something_.

Leaving the village as quickly as possible was a necessity. Didn't matter where she was moving on to, not so soon into her journey. Until she put a safe distance between herself and the Fire Nation, traveling inland was her primary concern. Shelter, she relented, wasn't _as _important. If she found a place to stay, she'd make use of it. If she didn't… well, unsavory as the thought was, she supposed she would have to sleep outside.

_There. Now I have some sort of plan, and-_

**_CLANK!_**

Azula swore and stumbled backwards as metal clanged against her forehead. Impeccable coordination kept her from sprawling across the ground, but the impact blurred her vision and half her face would probably be bruised within the hour. Irritated, she ignored her pounding head and opened her mouth to give the moron who _dared _run into her a piece of her mind-

-then her eyes met Fire Nation gold and her blood froze.

"Watch it Earth peasant-" The man cut off and his eyes widened with shock. "Hey, you aren't Earth Kingdom. You're- _Princess Azula!?" _

_Shit. _

Unwilling to totally blow her cover with bending, Azula did the only other thing she could think of; she _ran. _Without bothering to confirm or deny the soldier's exclamation, she took off in the opposite direction, sprinting as fast as she could. A trail of shouting and clanking metal followed her, and Azula cursed when she looked over her shoulder to see near a dozen soldiers had joined the chase. Great. Fighting was hardly an option anymore, and it was becoming increasingly obvious there were no places to hide.

Frustrated, Azula gave up on her 'no-bending' idea and kicked over a cart of melons she hurried past, sending a jet of blue behind her to make a flaming roadblock. The soldiers were by no means stopped, but her distraction slowed them enough that she was able to cut into an alley unseen. Free to search for a hiding place, Azula hastily scanned the area. A covered wagon stalled several yards ahead of her, and not seeing any superior options, she dove through the opening in the back.

A pig cow bayed in protest to her presence, and Azula slowly turned her head in disgusted disbelief. Not five feet away from her, crowded in the back of the cramped wagon, were two of the hideous creatures, both of them filthy and smelly and horrifying.

A racket outside kept Azula from fleeing, but deciding between fighting off a dozen Fire Nation soldiers and staying with the hogs was more difficult than she would have expected. The pig cows' beady eyes were fixed on her with a disturbing intensity, and her head was still woozy enough from smacking into that soldier's armor that the smell made her want to vomit. The straw was itchy as well, and there were insects swarming around inside the hot interior of the wagon.

Then the pigs started baying again. Azula jerked her head towards the opening of the wagon, ready to fight if the soldiers had found her, but a moment later the vehicle pitched forward and she recognized what'd caused the racket. She was _moving_.

Moving was good. She _wanted_ to move, and given that the village she was currently in hugged the coast, a moving wagon would have to be heading inland.

That being said, her pride chafed at bumming a ride with farm animals, and the degrading nature of her circumstances was almost too much to stomach. If the stupid wagon hadn't started moving, she probably would've been able to sneak out of the thing after a few minutes and find a more stable hiding place. Trying to get out now that the wagon was rolling out of the alley and into plain sight, would put her at the mercy of a dozen waiting Fire Nation troops.

She was _stuck. _

Almost shaking with frustration, Azula leaned her head back against the canvas wall of the wagon and closed her eyes. Her head still hurt badly, and the bumpy ride and atrocious smell were making things much worse. She felt ill. Dizzy as well. With the adrenaline beginning to face, the pain in her head was becoming increasingly more obvious.

Idiot soldier with his stupid armor. She wouldn't be in this mess if he'd been watching where he was going. She'd report him to her father if she wasn't currently running from the Fire Nation. He'd be punished for harming the Crown Princess. Perhaps an Agni Kai would be held. Against her, of course, and she wouldn't get hurt like Zuko. Zuko. He probably had a scar... would be chasing her by now if he wasn't still in the hospital... or maybe he was dead... wouldn't ever find her then...

Azula's eyes drifted shut as her thoughts grew more and more fragmented. Eventually, the dribbled nonsense faded completely and she found herself drifting into unconsciousness.

...

It was the sound of murmuring voices that finally woke her, pulling her from a dream she couldn't remember.

_Where am I? Why does my head hurt? What on earth is that smell...? _

Azula lay as still as possible as she searched for the answer to those questions. She did not know where she was. Her head hurt because she'd accidentally rammed her forehead into that soldier's chest plate. The smell- that was from the pig cows. Because she'd fallen asleep in the back of that wagon, the one she'd been hiding in.

Only the wagon had been entirely dark, and at that moment she could very clearly feel the waning sunlight humming through her veins, lightly strengthening her inner fire. Someone had found her then. She'd been discovered and moved.

Azula breathed in subtly, not making any noise or unnecessary movements, ready to attack whoever discovered her-

A boyish sound of protest. Too youthful to be that of a soldier.

She released the breath. It wasn't the Fire Nation then, not soldiers at least. Just peasants. She'd have to detach herself from them as soon as possible- would also have to make sure they did not discover her identity- but at least they weren't a threat.

"-we can't possibly continue traveling with her. She's an unknown, Father. I'm not sure what those Fire Nation soldiers were so upset about, but they were looking for _something_, and near our wagon. Who's to say it wasn't her?"

Good. They weren't sure about anything. She'd have to make sure it stayed that way.

"What would the problem be if the soldiers were looking for her? The girl is young and hurt. If she is running from the Fire Nation, it is right to help her in any way we are able."

"They could punish us-"

"Only if we are caught, Sensu. We have only eight days' travel before we are away from immediate Fire Nation reach. After that, there is little chance of trouble."

Azula's interest peaked. Eight days' travel, and she'd be relatively safe. Away from the bulk of Fire Nation soldiers at the very least. If she could convince the peasants to allow her to ride in the front of the wagon rather than back with the pig cows, it would be much preferable to the lengthy walk that would be ahead of her otherwise.

"You plan to let her ride with us for _eight days_?"

"That all depends, Sensu." A pause, and then, slightly louder: "I know you are awake, dear. My son wishes to know how long you will be staying with us."

_Lucky guess, peasant. _

Azula was half-tempted to ignore him out of spite, but she'd already been caught out and it was likely their conversation would stall now that both parties knew she'd been listening in. Moving slowly so as to not bring on unwanted dizziness, she maneuvered herself into a sitting position. Pounding reverberated in her skull, but the pain was easy enough to ignore. She'd had worse.

"Depends," Azula said hoarsely. She blinked and forced swimming eyes to focus on the peasants in front of her. One a year or two older than Zuko. Another nearer Father's age. Both of them were dressed shabbily, and the boy had crooked teeth. _I can't believe I'm consorting with this trash. _"Do I have to ride with the pig cows?"

The boy shook his head and looked at her from underneath shaggy black bangs. "You'd rather have us leave you out in the middle of nowhere than ride with a couple pig cows?" His lips curved upward into a playful smile. "That's cute."

"I am _not cute." _

"I said your behavior is cute, not you yourself." His smile broadened, crooked teeth on full display. "In fact, right now you're a bit off-putting really. Your hair is a bit... frightening. Maybe you should try picking some of the hay out."

How she wanted to burn the look of amusement right off his face.

"How dare you insult-"

"Not an insult. Just an observation."

He grinned cheekily, and Azula clenched her fists against blasting him with as much firepower as she could. Stupid, interruption, disrespectful piece of peasant trash.

_"Azula..." _

_"Shut up, Aang." _

"Enough of this ridiculousness," she gritted out. "I want a serious answer. Can I ride with you? I'd rather not waste time hovering here if you plan to shove me back with your livestock."

The peasant man smiled pleasantly. "It would be our pleasure, Miss..." He raised a brow, searching for a name.

"Jia," she lied smoothly. It was extremely common in the Fire Nation and about as nondescript as she could get.

"Miss _Jia. _You may have to return to the back if we come across any soldiers, but I have no problem allowing you to travel up front with us for the bulk of our journey."

"Very well then." It wasn't well, but Azula had brains enough to know what he was saying was little more than common sense. A pause, and pride then prompted her to add, "I will pay you. I am not a charity case."

"We don't want your money."

_Maybe not, but it sure as hell looks like you need it. _

A saccharine smile.

"I insist."

"How about you work for your stay instead?" suggested the father. He leaned forward and studied Azula for a long moment, then nodded. "Yes, I like that idea. The extra hand will be nice in the mornings when we have to get the animals together to travel. Our old milk pigs died recently, and the new ones we just picked up are rather... stubborn. I'm sure you'll be a great help in dealing with them."

A moment in which Azula debated whether or not he was actually serious, and then she had to laugh. With a good degree more condescension than was polite and yet much less than she would have liked to use, Azula shook her head and said, "I'd rather pay."

"Come on, Father," said the boy. "She won't even ride with the pig cows. How do you expect her to work with them? We better accept the money." His tone was playful and his lips were turned up at the corners, making the words more teasing than venomous. They were infuriating all the same.

_You're lucky the spirits would have my head if I hurt you. I'm still tempted to hurt you. Arrogant, filthy-_

_"Azula!" _She ignored the reprimanding voice.

"Sensu..."

"I wasn't serious." The boy eyed her curiously. "Although she does look a bit like a noble. Would have to be, if the Fire Nation cared about her so much." A pause in which Azula was clearly expected to comment on that. She kept her mouth shut. "Oh, come on. What on earth did you do to get all those soldiers after you? I mean, that was you they were looking for, wasn't it?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Does it have to do with the waterbending scrolls you've got with you?"

He knew about the scrolls. Meaning he'd been through her things. Her private belongings.

"That _is none of your business_," she hissed. He was lucky she didn't burn his hands off.

"But-"

"Her past is her own," said the father. "We must respect that and trust she means us no harm. An enemy of the Fire Nation is a friend of ours." He smiled at Azula. It was like one of Uncle's; genuine and easy. It almost made her want to like him. She probably would have, if he wasn't a sodding pig cow farmer. _  
_

"She still hasn't admitted the soldiers were after her," the peasant boy pointed out. "Perhaps she isn't against the Fire Nation after all."

"You heard your father," Azula cut in coolly. "My past has nothing to do with you." She stretched out her legs in front of her and smirked. "Given I'll be traveling with you the next few days, you'd best start to respect that."

The boy looked as though he wished to protest, but his father put a gentle hand on his arm and he reluctantly shut his mouth. The issue dealt with, the peasant man suggested an evening meal, and Azula was hungry enough to agree despite herself. It was nuts and gathered vegetables since they hadn't been able to find any meat that day. Pitiful. Just over ten days ago, she'd dined in the Royal Hall in the Fire Nation palace. Now she was picking at hard nuts around a campfire with a family of peasants.

Agni, she hoped this was as far as she would fall. She wasn't entirely sure she could handle anything further.

...

...

**Author's Note- **

**If anyone reviewed over the course of the last few days, I didn't have the chance to reply because I've been away from internet connection and cell service for that period of time. I am back now though, with an update, if not an admittedly unexciting one. It was necessary for plot movement. Again, I'm going for a weekly update time that I may or may not make. **

**Oh? I had little time to proofread this. I'll go through it again later, but if you see any mistakes, it would be awful if you could mention them in a review. **

**Now, here are the answers to several relatively common questions: **

**Isn't Air first in the cycle?- **It is, which I've addressed this chapter. Azula started with waterbending out of lack of other options. Aang, if you'll remember, tried going out of the cycle when he found Jeong Jeong. He was there so he tried to learn from him. That's what Azula was doing with Uncle. She will, however, _master _the elements in a cycle. Right now she knows the waterbending that went into developing lightning redirection and that's it. She'll have to master air before getting much further.

**How old is Azula?- **She's eleven in this timeline. Admittedly, the bulk of the story will take place after she turns fourteen, but for the moment she's the age she was when Zuko was scarred.

**How is the Avatar from the Fire Nation when it should be Water Tribe?- **Two Avatars have died since then. They'll be mentioned briefly at some point.

**Waterbending and Firebending are opposites. Why is learning Water so easy for Azula?- **Elemental opposites are different from personality-based opposites. If you've ever seen The Legend of Korra, you'll notice she uses fire more than any of her other elements, and she's from the Water Tribe. She's aggressive, so it fits with her personality best. Azula and fire fit together best, but I believe water is closest to her personality after- she's definitely not evasive like airbending, and I wouldn't call her the most solid or steady person either. Hence, relatively easy waterbending, at least at the level she's currently at.

**Any other questions, feel free to ask. Please leave comments or questions, and I'll be happy to reply. Thank you. **


End file.
